Gadgets, big brother, britain, cctv, stupid, talking cctv, uk

Talking CCTV Scheme: Big Brother Says 'Stop Picking Your Nose Now, Robert'

In an attempt to make its people behave better on the streets, the British Government is to roll out a talking CCTV camera scheme. The (not-so-)good citizens of the northern town of Middlesbrough have already been subjected to the idea, which is to stick a loudhailer on top of various CCTV cameras and get control center staff to tick off unsavory members of society who are caught indulging in anti-social behavior. This can be anything from littering the streets, drunk and disorderly behavior, fighting and (probably) doing The Sex with that girl you picked up in your local "niterie" half an hour ago.

With 4.2 million CCTV cameras on its streets, Britain is the surveillance capital of the world. But does the government really think that the scheme will work? Home Secretary John Reid thinks so, and revealed that competitions were being held at local schools for children to become the voice of Big Brother. "By funding and supporting these local schemes, the government is encouraging children to send this clear message to grown-ups: act anti-socially and you will face the shame of being publicly embarrassed."

Not everyone is so fond of the idea, however. "Apart from being absurd, I think it's rather sad that we should have faceless cameras barking at us on orders from high," said Steve Hills, an anti-surveillance campaigner. "Who sets these cameras up?" The man, Steve, the man. – Ad Dugdale

'Talking' CCTV camera scheme expanding [BBC News]

6:48 AM on Wed Apr 4 2007
By www.gizmodo.com
2,146 views
16 comments

Comments

Ghaarnok at 06:29 AM on 04/04/07
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This is indeed a sad move. As an Englishman I quite enjoy a few hearty ales, aswell as several shots of things I can't pronounce, down at the pub. After which I may feel the need to run amok through town, causing such reckless havok as: Running, jumping off stuff and being very loud. I'm guranteed a crime sheet now.

Of course it isn't all bad, because the cameras are on poles..... and poles can't chase you.
PJK at 07:49 AM on 04/04/07
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The cameras shouldn't be there in the first place. Its farcical that under a supposedly liberal Labour government the UK is become a 1984 theme park.

I'm just glad I live in Ireland where the general incompetence of the Police and Government prevent them becoming too dangerous.
hypereric at 08:58 AM on 04/04/07
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Target practice. O wait, England, nevermind.
malcs at 09:05 AM on 04/04/07
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oh dear... living in the UK i can only expect that it will be a matter of time before england is a real version of ninteen-eighty-four!
ANoel at 09:21 AM on 04/04/07
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Connectedness Index: 175
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The great UK social artist Banksy covered this well: http://www.banksy.co.uk/indoors/02.html
moosetoga at 09:23 AM on 04/04/07
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This is absolutely terrifying to me.
ANoel at 09:25 AM on 04/04/07
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Connectedness Index: 175
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Banksy Was Here too:

http://www.banksy.co.uk/shop/images/shop large/whatareyoulookingat.jpg
MrAwes0me at 10:22 AM on 04/04/07
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I blame George Bush.
Grif at 10:32 AM on 04/04/07
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I love the phrase "anti-social behavior." It just sounds like it came out of 1984.

I think this proves that there is a reason that books and movies like 1984 and V for Vendetta are always based in England. They seem to actually put up with stuff like this.
ANoel at 12:18 PM on 04/04/07
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ummm... Britain has increasing serious social problems and surveillance gagets DO play a role. Their prison system has doubled in the past 15 years. Here's a current overview http://www.guardian.co.uk/prisons/story/0,,2047025,00.html...
... see if CCTVs don't appear to be recruitment tools for the Prison Industrial Complex. You'd think Bush was Prime Minister.
atomx at 12:33 PM on 04/04/07
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I had no idea. This is very disturbing, and even more so the thought that we could be seeing this sort of thing here in the states. We have proven over the past [7] years that we will not stand and fight for our own freedom. The government has been tapping our phones and reading our emails, and we've done nothing. It's time to put an end to this before we've ironically given up all of our freedom in the name of freedom.

/williamwallacerant
evilkingteapot at 01:20 PM on 04/04/07
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So waitaminit. The camera yells at me and tells me to stop doing something? That always worked so well when mom tried it......
jawzxy at 01:43 PM on 04/04/07
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I was thinking 1984, and then they mentioned children and I knew, for sure, that it has become 1984. So when will offspring start accusing their loving parents of treason?
pillow at 04:11 PM on 04/04/07
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...not to mention a laugh were one to hack into the systems. ^^
imajoebob at 04:50 PM on 04/04/07
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"Resistance is futile!" (Damn. Does that makes me a nerd?)

I gotta laugh, because when I lived in London I counted more than 30 CCTV cameras in the 3-block walk to my bus stop each morning.

I always felt safe, though rarely secure.
soul_grind at 11:00 AM on 04/05/07
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if they are gonna have all these cameras everywhere, recording our every move, then personally I'd rather they shouted at people. Given the choice between:

(a) Drunken yobs kick me repeatedly in the head.. the footage is used at their trial.. and in order to increase people's fear levels on tv shows.

or

(b) The camera shouts at the yobs and hopefully gets them to stop kicking my head and run away.

I think i'd go with (b).

That said, considering the insane number of cameras in the UK these days.. the amount of violent crime, petty crime and fear of crime seems to have skyrocketed, not fallen.

PS/ Under freedom-of-information laws firms are required to give you copies of any recordings they have of you.. should you ask. So if you feel like a laugh then stage a play infront of some CCTV and put in an FOI request for the footage. (they can charge a "nominal" paperwork fee).